How the f**k are ntl getting away with this?

[Brian O'D]

One of a series of ads in todays Indo is so misleading that I'm amazed nobody has complained about it. They've run similar on tv and radio, and those who aren't fully aware of what they are dealing with would be fooled by it.

In bold it says that with Sky Digital you can't watch two different channels on different televisions at the same time.

Then is smaller print it says..

Remember with Digital tv from ntl you can watch different channels with multi-room viewing.

In another ad clearly for ntl Digital, they state that with their tv service you can watch one channel and record another. You can't do that with Sky Digital.

How are they getting away with that?

[JDxtra]

I don't know, but it does seem odd - but when I was in Australia you seem to be able to get away with naming and slagging off competing products in your advertisments.

Even on TV you would see ads for shampoo and they'd show their copetitors products and tell you it was rubbish!

I'm not sure if there actually is any sort of a law against such a thing here in Ireland. Anybody know?

[Ryan Phillips]

There is a comparative advertising directive covering this kind of craic. I'll dig it out for you if you want? Basically you're allowed compare other products as long as the comparison is fair and accurate,in this case it must be true that you cant do it with Sky Digital and can with NTL. As for being a bit mean about other products, thats usually OK aswell and is just described as "puffing" in that people expect the advertisers to flower up their product and downsell the other so its not really that effective. Even Reeds(of naussa street if i can remember the ad?)do it with their "you could pay more at easons,but why should you" campaign where they find the same products in each store and then make a table of price comparisons.Its the same idea. Finally its also an issue in Trade Mark law because they are using the companys(Here Skys) trade mark to advertise similar or identical products, which they dont really like you doing! Its all a bit messy.Again if you want the specifics i'll post them up.Hope that helps

By the way,thats why in all those detergent ads in the past Ariel and daz and co used to always say it was better than their last product or else do a test against a big white box with "Detergent" written on it! I always thought it was strange when i was small,saying "our last one was good,BUT this one,this is better again" now i know why....serenity now...

[TV Tree]

I think the point of contention is that although you cannot watch two different channels, nor can you record and watch two different channels, with Sky Digital...you cannot do it with NTL digital either!
The ads are deliberately misleading people into believing that you can.
Technically the wording of the ad covers them, you CAN do it with NTL's analog service, but as the ads are specifiacally promoting NTL digital, this is misleading the public.
Where does the law stand on that? I suspect it is totally legal, proving that the law is an ass, and not a shapely female one either!